Unvaccinated boy lands mother $800,000 hospital bill
At six years old living on a farm, a boy contracted a Tetanus infection; the first case in 30 years.
The boy suffered a cut on his head which was cleaned and stitched on location by his parents, but after six days, he started clenching his jaw, and having involuntary muscle spasms.
Emergency services were than called into action, and after having arrived at the ICU (Intensive Care Unit); The doctors there learned that the boy had not been vaccinated in any way shape or form.
the boy was immediately administered medication that contained tetanus toxin antibodies, along with the standard vaccine against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, DTaP.
The boy still in agonizing pain, spent 35 days in the ICU connected to a ventilator.
The 36th day he was taken out of ICU, but still connected to the ventilator, and itt wasn’t until his 44th day in the hospital that he was finally able to function on his own, taking his first sip of fluid.
After a total of 57 days in hospital, he is finally remanded to rehabilitation center to complete his healing for the next 17 days.
Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is a vaccine-preventable infection caused by the bacteria Clostridium tetani.
After everything was said and done, the bill for all this?
A staggering $811,929, excluding the cost of air transportation, inpatient rehab and follow-up costs.
The boy is now vaccinated and back to his care-free playing self, but the parents still choose not to vaccinate him further.
The Doctors handling the case says: “This was entirely preventable — an unnecessary episode of torture for this poor child,”
It is not being revealed who footed the bill, as the family have privacy concerns.